Preamble
NWAMHC- START Program is committed to the optimal development of every student. We believe that for students to have the opportunity to achieve personal, academic, developmental and social success, we need to create positive, safe and health-promoting learning environments at every level, in every setting, throughout the school year.
Good nutrition and physical activity before, during and after the school day are strongly correlated with positive student outcomes. Less-than-adequate consumption of specific foods including fruits, vegetables and dairy products, is associated with lower grades among students. In addition, students who are physically active perform better academically. Adequate hydration is associated with better cognitive performance.
This policy outlines our approach to ensuring environments and opportunities for all students to practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors throughout the school day while minimizing distractions. Specifically, this policy establishes goals and procedures to ensure that:
§ Students have access to healthy foods throughout the school day through reimbursable school meals;
§ Students receive quality nutrition education that helps them develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors;
§ Students have opportunities to be physically active before, during and after school;
§ Schools engage in nutrition and physical activity promotion and other activities that promote student wellness;
§ School staff are encouraged and supported to practice healthy nutrition and physical activity behaviors in and out of school;
This policy applies to all students and staff of the program. Specific measureable goals and outcomes are identified within each section below.
I. School Wellness Committee
Committee Role and Membership
The program will convene a wellness committee that meets at triennially to establish goals for and oversee school health and safety policies and programs, including development, implementation and periodic review and update of this wellness policy. The program director/coordinator and program nurse will review the policy on an annual basis and report any needed changes to the wellness committee as necessary.
Membership will represent program director/coordinator, staff LPN, agency wellness coordinator, and current student and SNP representative.
II. Wellness Policy Implementation, Monitoring, Accountability and Community Engagement
Implementation Plan
We will develop a plan for implementation to manage and coordinate the execution of this wellness policy. The plan delineates roles, responsibilities, actions and timelines specific to the program; and includes information about specific goals and objectives for nutrition standards for all foods and beverages available at the program, nutrition education, physical activity, physical education and other activities that promote student wellness.
This wellness policy can be found on the programs website at www.nwamhc.com.
Recordkeeping
We will retain records to document compliance with the requirements of the wellness policy in the program office and in the USDA Director’s office located in the NWAMHC Administrative Office building. Documentation maintained in this location will include but will not be limited to:
§ The written wellness policy;
§ Documentation demonstrating that the policy has been made available to the public;
§ Documentation of efforts to review and update the Wellness Policy; including an indication of who is involved in the update and governing body approval;
§ Documentation to demonstrate compliance with the annual public notification requirements;
Annual Notification of Policy
We will actively inform families and the public each year of basic information about this policy, including its content, any updates to the policy and implementation status. We will make this information available via the district website and/or district-wide communications. We will provide as much information as possible about the school nutrition environment.
Triennial Progress Assessments
At least once every three years, we will evaluate compliance with the wellness policy to assess the implementation of the policy and include:
§ The extent to which we are in compliance with the wellness policy;
§ The extent to which the District’s wellness policy compares other model wellness policies;
§ A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the wellness policy.
Revisions and Updating the Policy
We will update or modify the wellness policy based on the annual recommendations from the program staff and/or as priorities change; wellness goals are met; and new Federal or state guidance or standards are issued. The wellness policy will be assessed and updated as indicated at least every three years, following the triennial committee meeting.
Community Involvement, Outreach and Communications
Parents and/or guardian will be notified upon admission to the program of the program’s participation in the SNP. Parents/guardian will be provided a copy of the wellness policy along with instruction on how to provide to feedback regarding said policy.
III. Nutrition
School Meals
We are committed to serving healthy meals to children, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat milk; that are moderate in sodium, low in saturated fat, and have zero grams trans fat per serving (nutrition label or manufacturer’s specification); and to meeting the nutrition needs of children within their calorie requirements. The school meal program aims to improve the diet and health of children, help mitigate childhood obesity, encourage healthy eating to support the development of lifelong healthy eating patterns and support healthy choices while accommodating cultural food preferences and special dietary needs.
The START program participates in USDA child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). We are committed to offering school meals through the NSLP and SBP programs that:
§ Are accessible to all students;
§ Are appealing and attractive to children;
§ Are served in clean and pleasant settings;
§ Meet or exceed current nutrition requirements established by local, state, and Federal statutes and regulations. (Offers reimbursable school meals that meet USDA nutrition standards.)
§ Promote healthy food and beverage choices using at least ten of the following Smarter Lunchroom techniques:
− Sliced or cut fruit is available daily.
− All staff members, especially those serving, have been trained to politely prompt students to consume the daily vegetable options with their meal.
− White milk requirement is met at each meal
− A reimbursable meal can be created in any service area available to students
− Student artwork is displayed in the service and/or dining areas.
Staff Qualifications and Professional Development
All school nutrition program directors, managers and staff will meet or exceed hiring and annual continuing education/training requirements in the USDA professional standards for child nutrition professionals. These school nutrition personnel will refer to USDA’s Professional Standards for School Nutrition Standards website to search for training that meets their learning needs.
Water
To promote hydration, free, safe, unflavored drinking water will be available to all students throughout the day. START will make drinking water available where school meals are served during mealtimes.
Competitive Foods and Beverages
START program is committed to ensuring that all foods and beverages available to students at the program during the day support healthy eating. The foods and beverages served outside of the school meal programs (e.g., “competitive” foods and beverages) will meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, at a minimum. Smart Snacks aim to improve student health and well-being, increase consumption of healthful foods during the school day and create an environment that reinforces the development of healthy eating habits.
Nutrition Promotion
Nutrition promotion and education positively influences lifelong eating behaviors by using evidence-based techniques and nutrition messages, and by creating food environments that encourage healthy nutrition choices and participation in school meal programs. Students and staff will receive consistent nutrition messages throughout the facility.
Nutrition Education
The program will teach, encourage and support healthy eating by all students. We will provide nutrition education and engage in nutrition promotion that:
§ Is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
§ Includes enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant and participatory activities;
§ Promotes fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products and healthy food preparation methods;
§ Emphasizes caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (promotes physical activity/exercise); and
§ Includes nutrition education training for staff.
Essential Healthy Eating Topics in Health Education
The District will include in the health education curriculum a minimum of 5 of the following essential topics on healthy eating:
§ Relationship between healthy eating and personal health and disease prevention
§ Reading and using FDA's nutrition fact labels
§ Eating a variety of foods every day
§ Balancing food intake and physical activity
§ Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grain products
§ Choosing foods that are low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol and do not contain trans fat
§ Choosing foods and beverages with little added sugars
§ Eating more calcium-rich foods
§ Preparing healthy meals and snacks
§ Risks of unhealthy weight control practices
§ Accepting body size differences
§ Food safety
§ Importance of water consumption
§ Importance of eating breakfast
§ Making healthy choices when eating at restaurants
§ Eating disorders
§ Reducing sodium intake
§ Social influences on healthy eating, including media, family, peers and culture
§ How to find valid information or services related to nutrition and dietary behavior
§ Resisting peer pressure related to unhealthy dietary behavior
§ Influencing, supporting, or advocating for others’ healthy dietary behavior
Physical Activity
Participants will participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily.
Physical activity during the day (including but not limited to classroom physical activity breaks or physical education) will not be withheld as punishment for any reason.
To the extent practicable, NWAMHC will ensure that its grounds and facilities are safe and that equipment is available to students to be active. NWAMHC will conduct necessary inspections and repairs.
Physical Education
START will provide students with physical education, using an age-appropriate, sequential physical education curriculum consistent with national and state standards for physical education. The physical education curriculum will promote the benefits of a physically active lifestyle and will help students develop skills to engage in lifelong healthy habits, as well as incorporate essential health education concepts. The curriculum will support the essential components of physical education.
All students will be provided equal opportunity to participate in physical education classes. START will make appropriate accommodations to allow for equitable participation for all students and will adapt physical education classes and equipment as necessary.
All secondary students (middle and high school) are required to take the equivalent of one academic year of physical education.
Essential Physical Activity Topics in Health Education
Health education will be provided. START will include in the health education curriculum a minimum of 3 of the following essential topics on physical activity:
§ The physical, psychological, or social benefits of physical activity
§ How physical activity can contribute to a healthy weight
§ How physical activity can contribute to the academic learning process
§ How an inactive lifestyle contributes to chronic disease
§ Health-related fitness, that is, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition
§ Differences between physical activity, exercise and fitness
§ Phases of an exercise session, that is, warm up, workout and cool down
§ Overcoming barriers to physical activity
§ Decreasing sedentary activities, such as TV watching
§ Opportunities for physical activity in the community
§ Preventing injury during physical activity
§ Weather-related safety, for example, avoiding heat stroke, hypothermia and sunburn while being physically active
§ How much physical activity is enough, that is, determining frequency, intensity, time and type of physical activity
§ Dangers of using performance-enhancing drugs, such as steroids
§ Social influences on physical activity, including media, family, peers and culture
§ How to find valid information or services related to physical activity and fitness
§ How to influence, support, or advocate for others to engage in physical activity
§ How to resist peer pressure that discourages physical activity.
Classroom Physical Activity Breaks
START recognizes that students are more attentive and ready to learn if provided with periodic breaks when they can be physically active or stretch. Thus, students will be offered periodic opportunities to be active or to stretch throughout the day on all or most days during a typical school week. These physical activity breaks will complement, not substitute, for physical education class.
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